You Tell Me

"She forced a smile when Sei turned his attention to her. Slowly, he placed the papers back on the table and leaned towards her, his left hand supporting him on the desk. He gently touched her chin with his right finger and said “Stop doing that…”

His mouth curved into a mischievous smile. Leaning more closely, he whispered to her ear, “Or I might melt into your gaze”.
"

Chapters:

'It's almost 7 'o clock pm'; Asumi glanced at the watch
hanging above the teacher's table. Tick Tock Tick Tock,
the only sound accompanying her inside the classroom. Most of her
classmates had probably gone home. The student council meeting
took longer than it used to. After the long meeting of debating
and discussing for the upcoming event for the third year
students, everyone was glad that they were able to agree and
settle on things. Members of the Student Council had already went
home. Asumi decided to stay; she still has to finish drafting the
budget plan for the school's field trip.

'Argh!, Why did I ever agree to be the Student Council's
treasurer?' Asumi silently complained as she was shifting
though the list of activities suggested by the students. It would
have been easier if she was just one of the 'students'. She would
have been home by now.

'This is all Aki's fault! I shouldn't have let him made me
agree to this!' she frowned looking at the long list of
things to buy and prepare.

Asumi Hoshina, a third year student, was known to her friends to
be good at budgeting and organizing. Akihiro Nagatso, also a
third year and her best friend, knows this too well. During the
3rd week of planning for the third year's school trip, the
current Student Council Treasurer transferred to another school.
It was then that Aki suggested that Asumi fills up the seat. Her
classmates pleaded to her to accept the job. With a hesitant
feeling, she accepted. How can she refuse when all her classmates
are depending on her?

The silence was deafening. "I have to finish this and give this
for approval tomorrow" she told herself as she continued with her
work.

The clock's hand is nearing half pass seven. "This will do…"
Asumi smiled. She collected all the papers and filed it neatly on
the desk. She stretched her arms and neck to relax her muscles.
'This has been a long day,' she thought silently. She
studied the room's ceiling, feeling the empty seats around her.
The state of the room right now was in complete opposite with
when during the day.

"Hey, you're still here, I thought everyone's gone home already?"
Sei walked towards her. Startled, Asumi just stared at him. He
snatched the filed papers on her desk and gradually flipped
through it.

'His stance is strong. Ah, his fingers are long and slender
as well' she continued to stare at him.

"Hmmm, this is good Asumi, this way we can accommodate everyone's
chosen activities and still within our budget range" Sei said,
still flipping through the pages.

"Thanks!'', is all she could reply. 'His eyes are so
beautiful. His hair… it's ash- black. It matches the color of his
eyes;' Asumi watched him silently as he was still reading
the budget report.

'Hmmm, it would have been nice if he cuts his hair a little
shorter. The front is almost covering the eyes.' Sei's hair
swayed gently to the breeze of the ceiling fan above them.
'I've never seen him this close before'; True, she only
saw him at the hallway when she changed classes. Or at a distant
during lunch break at the cafeteria. And across the room during
the Student Council meeting she attended recently.

Sei Yuushin was a fourth year student at BNC High. He was also
the student body president for 2 consecutive years now. Tall and
handsome, he was adored by the girls of this school. Being the
top of his class, he was well-liked by the teachers. He walked
with dignity and his presence commands respect. He was the
grandson of the school director as well.

"Stop doing that" Sei said calmly, without moving his eyes away
from the budget report that he was still reading.

''Huh?!?!" Surprised, Asumi could feel her cheeks burning. Her
heart was racing as she does have a clue of what he was implying.
'Stop it! Calm down!' she silently instructed herself.
'He might think I'm weird'

She forced a smile when Sei turned his attention to her. Slowly,
he placed the papers back on the table and leaned towards her,
his left hand supporting him on the desk. He gently touched her
chin with his right finger and said "Stop doing that…"

His mouth curved into a mischievous smile. Leaning more closely,
he whispered to her ear, "Or I might melt into your gaze".

Before she could respond, he got up and walked out of the room.
'What the hell was that!' Asumi's heart would not stop
pounding. Her face now matches the color of her red bag.

It took her several minutes to gather the strength to stand up.
She walked slowly out of the room, feeling her heart with her
hand. It still won't stop pounding. She has never been
embarrassed like that before. She stopped midway through the
hallway and exhaled loudly. Her breathing somewhat echoed through
the empty corridors. She inhaled and exhaled again, thus calming
her racing heart. She hurriedly walked to the schools main
entrance. She glanced at her watched. 'It's almost 8, mom
might get worried.'

She greeted and said good bye to the security guard and janitress
walking on the school ground.

Clutching her bag, she walked to the streets thinking of what Sei
said, 'Or I might melt into your gaze'. By just thinking
about it, her face suddenly turned red again. She shook her head
as she tried to erase that image out of her mind.

Asumi abruptly found her composure and looked at who the voice
belong to, "Ah Sei, something was caught in my hair." She laughed
sheepishly and started walking again.

"Get in. I'll drop you off." Sei opened the passenger's door
gesturing her to get in.

"Ah, it's ok..." Asumi waved her hands 'No'.

"I live nearby", she declined and politely smiled. She started
walking again with Sei's car following her pace.

"Seriously, get in. It's not safe for you to walk here by
yourself." He gestured her to get in again.

"Really, its ok. I also love walking at night because it's
refreshing. Thanks anyways." Asumi started walking again. This
time she quickens her pace.

'I can't face him right now.' She told herself.
'What happened at the classroom is too embarrassing.'
She could feel that her face is burning up again. She picked up
her speed looking ahead, trying not to look back.

"Jeez!" Irritated, Sei got out of the car and started walking
towards Asumi. With just a few steps, he was able to reach her.
He grabbed hold of her left arm and almost like dragging her,
walked back to his car.

"Wait!" Asumi stammered.

"Don't be an idiot and just get in" He gently but firmly pushed
her to the passenger's side of the car.

They drove off in silence. The only words uttered are the polite
conversation for the direction to Asumi's house.

"This is me." Asumi unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the
door.

"Thanks for the ride." She looked at him briefly. Their eyes met
for a while and Sei smiled at her gently. Her heart betrayed her
again. She hurriedly got out of the car and closed the door. She
neither said goodbye nor looked at him again.

When she was already inside the gate, she could hear the engine
of Sei's car moving away. She turned around just enough to see
the glimpse of the dark blue car turning to the corner.

"Mom, I'm home." Asumi placed her bag on the couch and walked to
the kitchen door.

"Asumi!" Her mom's teary eyed faced glanced up at her. She found
her mother crying on the kitchen floor. Already cut vegetables
were left lying on the floor and the nearby sink.

"Mom! What happend?" She hurriedly went to her's mother side,
consoling her.

Riko Hoshina gently untangled herself from her daughter's
embrace. Looking at Asumi's confused face, she didn't know on
what best way to explain the situation but to say it straight
forward.

"Your father's assistant called. Your father's dig site in Cairo
collapsed. They said that all the men inside are trapped and they
are having a hard time digging them out. Your father is trapped
inside as well" Riko cried again looking at her daughter's
strickened face.

"Dad, he is..." Asumi was lost for words. Afraid that she might
have lost her father.

Ahimura Hoshino was an archeologist. He was currently working on
a dig on one of the pharaoh's grave site in Cairo. Though he was
always away all the time, he maintained a close connection with
his daughter. He saw to it that he was always there to celebrate
special occasions with his family.